Bowling pin handling apparatus



Nov. 4, 1952 G. A. MONTOOTH 2,616,694

- BOWLING PIN HANDLING APPARATUS Filed June 6, 1947 8 Sheetg-Sheet l dear e 77101160512 G. A. MONTOOTH BOWLING PIN HANDLING APPARATUS Nov. 4, 1952.

8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 6, 1947 Ila/anion dear a /Z Zfipnfaa 2%.

NOV. 4, 1952 G, MQNTOQTH 7 2,616,694

BOWLING PIN HANDLING APPARATUS Filed June 6, 1947 a Sheets-Sheet s Nov. 4, 1952 5. A. MON'I 'OOTH V BOWLING PIN HANDLING APPARATUS 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 6, 1947 Irv/ Z01"! dear 6/ monhil.

Nov 4, 1952 G. A. MONTOOTH BOWLING PIN HANDLING APPARATUS 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed- June 6, 1947 G. A. MONTOOTH BOWLING PIN HANDLING APPARATUS Nov. 4, 1952 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed June 6, 1947 m m, w

fieory Nov. 4, 1952 a. A. MONTQOTH 2,616,694

BOWLING PIN HANDLING APPARATUS Filed June 6, 1947 8 SheetsSheet '7 G. A. MONTOOTH BOWLING PIN HANDLING APPARATUS Nov. 4, 1952 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed June 6, 1947 H m /l/ m m M d m e 6 Patented Nov. 4, 1952 BOWLING PIN HANDLING APPARATUS George A. Montooth, Long Beach, Calif., assignor to The Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application June 6, 1947, Serial No. 752,898

12 Claims.

This invention relates to bowling pin handling apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for changing the pins in a bowling machine. 7 One object of this invention is to provide, in a bowling machine, improved mechanism for changing the entire complement of pins in the machine.

Another object of this invention is to provide, in a bowling machine, improved pin diverting apparatus, including a diversion chute and a novel pin switch operable to divert pins from their normal channel of distribution in said machine and direct them into said diversion chute.

Another object of this invention is to provide, in a bowling machine, improved pin changing apparatus comprising means for diverting pins from their normal channel in said machine and removing such pins from said machine, a vertically movable pin container holding different pins, and means for operating said pin container to discharge the different pins therefrom.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a pin changing mechanism which is easily accessible and may be loaded with a different set of pins without interrupting play on the bowling alley with which it is associated.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a bowling pin setting machine embodying a preferred form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the pin containers and diversion chutes shown generally in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the pin containers, looking from the players end of the alley;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of one of the pin distributing chutes in the machine of Fig. 1, showing the pin diverting apparatus;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of one of the pin containers shown generally in Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of the actuating mechanism for the pin container shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8, comprising the portions Ba-d, is a fragmentary view of a pin container in various positions as it complete a pin discharging operation, showing the door opening and closing mechanism in various positions throughout the cycle;

Fig. 9 is a vertical section along the line 9-9 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 10 is a vertical section along the line Jpn-19 of Fig. 5; s G

Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary section of a portion of one of the pin containers, showing the apparatus for closing the pin container doors;

Fig. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary section of a portion of one of the pin: containers, showing the door release mechanism;

Fig. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary section, looking from the left in Fig. 12;

Fig. 14 is an enlarged fragmentary section of a portion of the pin containers shown in Fig. 3, looking from the front and showing the connection of the counterweight cable mechanism;

Fig. 15 is an enlarged fragmentary View, partly in section, of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 6, and looking from the right in Fig. 14;

Fig. 16 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of a portion of the pin container actuating mechanism shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 17 is an enlarged view, partly in section, of another portion of the pin container actuating mechanism shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 18 is an enlarged view of a portion of the pin container actuating mechanism shown generally in Fig. 3.

While I have illustrated in the drawings and shall herein describe in detail a preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular arrangement shown, it being contemplated that various changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

As illustrated in the drawings, and with particular reference to Fig. 1, a bowling machine including the preferred form of the invention may be installed at the rear end of a bowling alley 20 equipped with the customary gutters 2i and 22 and a pit 23. Bowling pins 24 may be arranged to be placed on the alley in the standard triangular formation of ten pins.

While my pin changing apparatus may be associated with many other types of pin setting machines, and in particular with a machine of the type shown in the copending application of Jack Van Horn Whipple and Albert L. Odmark, entitled Bowling Pin Setters, Serial No. 736,682, filed March 24, 1947, the machine illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises a tiltable tray 25 normally forming the bottom or floor of the pit 23 and inclinable to urge the pins and the ball in the pit towards the rear against a pit cushion 26. A ball and pin lifting mechanism 2'! having a plurality of pin and ball carrying flights 28 movable upwardly from the pit to a discharge position for the pins at 29 is provided, and a ball transfer means 30 is arranged to remove a ball 3! from said mechanism and transfer it to ball return tracks 32. A pin chute 33 is arranged in a position for receiving pins discharged by the conveyor flights when tilted at 23, and the pins pass from said chute into a rotary drumlike pin sorter 34. Within the sorter pins are carried upwardly and are discharged from one of a plurality of doors in the sorter into a distributor mechanism 35 comprising a plurality of distributing chutes 36a, 3619, etc. The chutes 36 lead into a magazine 31 which is adapted to receive and hold a set of pins prior to their movement into a pin setter 38 having ten vertically positioned and triangularly arranged pin tubes 33. pin pickup mechanism 48 for lifting standing pins from the bowling alley bed so that the alley may be swept to remove dead wood therefrom. A sweep device 4! is provided for sweeping the alley and gutters clear of pins, and a guard device 452 acts to stop a bowling ball which may be rolled during certain operations of the machine. Power operating mechanism including a power unit 43 and a control mechanism which may be housed partly in a unit 44 is provided to control the operation of the machine.

The pin changing mechanism to which this specification is drawn is shown generally in Fig. 1, this mechanism comprising pin containers or boxes 45 and 46 positioned generally under the parts 43 and M, and a pin diversion chute structure 47 comprising diversion chutes 47a and 41b for diverting pins from the distributor 35 into one or the other of the pin containers 45 and 46.

The general combination in a bowling pin setting machine of means for supporting a reserve set of pins for substitution in the machine, means for receiving pins for transfer out of use by the machine and pin transfer mechanism is disclosed and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 736,643 entitled Pin Setting Machine," filed March 24, 1947.

In the pin setting machine illustrated the the alley 20, to a forward position approximately three feet ahead of the position shown in order to permit manual setting of pins on the alley by a pin boy. In the machine illustrated a walk Associated with the pin setter 38 is a,

49 extends across the alley and any other adjacent alleys on which similar machines are installed to facilitate initial loading of pins into the machines or pin boxes, to provide a means for obtaining easy access to the pin containers and without interrupting play on the alley, and to facilitate servicing of the power and control units. This walk may be swung upwardly to a vertical position when the carriage 48 is to be moved forwardly. The machine is also provided with an indicator unit or board 50 located in front of the machine and at a suitable distance above the alley bed in order to shield the machine from the approach end of the alley. If desired this indicator unit may be equipped with signal lights arranged in a triangular formation similar to that of the pins H 4 ley and Edward P. Bentley, Serial No. 748,159, filed May 15, 1947, the operation of the machine will be described only briefly and generally here. When the bowling ball 3| is rolled down the alley bed, the ball and usually some of the pins enter the pit 23 and fall upon the tray 25 which is in its lower or horizontal position. At this time the pin and ball elevator 21 is stopped in a position in which two of the flights 28 are behind the pit cushion 2G and the other two of the flights are above the top of the pit cushion so that it is impossiblefor the pins or ball to strike the elevator flights. The tray as illustrated in Fig. 1 is in the form'of a metal framework having a plurality of slots in the rear edge thereof to accommodate the passage of forks or tines Bl on the conveyor flights. Preferably, the tray is covered with a layer 62 of a cushioning and sound deadening material such as rubber or felt. The tray is pivoted adjacent its rear edge on a cross shaftiso that it may be moved from a lower horizontal position (which it assumes during actual bowling) to the inclined or upper position indicated, into which it is moved after the ball has been rolled. To swing the tray between its two positions arms 64 extend rearwardly from the opposite side edges thereof, said arms being slotted at 65 to admit a crank pin 66 carried by a sprocket 66a on a cross shaft 81, said cross shaft also supporting another sprocket 61a for operating the conveyor 21. In this manner the movements of the tray are synchronized with certain movements of the pin and ball'elevator.

The pin and ball elevator 27 comprises a pair of roller chains 68, one at each side of the pit 23 and each constrained to follow a special curved path by guide channels 69. Each guide channel has a rear portion through which the chain normally moves downwardly, a bottom portion through which the chain normally moves forwardly, and a forward portion through which the chain normally moves upwardly. The roller chains carry four tined assemblies which extend between the chains and consist of rods 23 and tines 6|. These tines are normally driven up through the slots in the tray 25 to pick up pins and balls from below. Generally a ball is picked up on the first flight of'theconveyor passing upwardly from the tray and if not on the first flight, almost invariably on the second. As soon as the first flight passes through the pins on the tray, the majority of the pins are picked up and align themselves cross alley on said flight and those which are not carried upwardly on the first flight of tines are picked up on the second flight. The widely spaced tines effectively produce a' stringing out or debunching of the pins since not all of the pins can get on one flight of tines. This avoids jamming of pins in the chute 33 when they are discharged from the elevator.

The chains 68 are driven from an upper cross shaft Ill which carries a sprocket T I at each end thereof. The shaft 10 is rotatably supported on the frame I3 for the elevator and is connected to a drive shaft. Preferably the drive shaft is driven by hydraulic means, an electric motor, or other power means (not shown), the operation of which may be controlled automatically to give the pin and ball conveyor the desired movement.

The pin sorter, pin chutes and pin magazine are fully described in the copending application of Jack Van Horn Whipple and Albert M. Odmark, Serial No. 736,682, filed March 24, 1947 and so will be described only briefly here, and

the pin setting and pickup mechanism of the machine illustrated in Fig. l is fully described in the copending application of Jack Van Horn Whipple, George P. Bentley and Edward P. Bentley, Serial No. 759,488, filed July 8, 1947.

This invention is particularly directed to the pin changing apparatus of the machine shown in Fig. 1. In said machine and in the machine shown and described in application Serial No. 736,682 heretofore mentioned, there is avertical rotating sorter 34 having five doors therein through which pins are delivered one at a time into five distributing chutes 36c-e which terminate in upending boxes, as the box ME! associated with the chute 361). As fully described in the above mentioned application Serial No. 788,682, these upending boxes are designed in such manner that the pins fall through the bottom of the boxes butt end first so that the pins may be placed head end up'in the pin setter units. The

two diversion chutes 4'la and 4712 are connected respectively to distributing chutes 35b and36d. The bowling machine illustrated normally is loaded with twenty pins, and one of the pin containers, as for example container i5, is loaded with twenty diiferent pins while the other container'is empty. During play on the alley both containers are in their raised position as shown in Figs. 1 and 8a, said containers being suspended above the alley bed adjacent the front of the bowling machine, but slightly behind the point on the alley bed where the sweep 4! comes down to sweep fallen pins into the pit.

A pin changing cycle may be initiated at any time before the bowling machine starts a cycle of operation, i. e. one set of ten pins should be spotted on the alley and one set of ten pins should be in the machine setting unit. In order to initiate a pin changing cycle an electrical control switch (not shown) or any other conventional means may be provided, and I prefer to provide such an electrical switch at the alley attendants desk so that the attendant can effect the change of pins merely by operating such control switch.

Upon initiation of the pin changing cycle four of the five outlet doors from the pin sorter to the respective distributor chutes are closed and held closed during the complete cycle. These doors are preferably solenoid operated, and reference is had to copending application Serial No. 736,682 for a complete disclosure of their structure and operation. The fifth door, which under the conditions just described would be the (1001' leading to distributor chute 35b, is held open so that all of the pins will be delivered by the sorter into distributing chute 3%. All the pins'contained in the machine will now be removed from the machine through distributing chute 85b and diversion chute 47a, this diversion chutedirecting the pins into the empty pin container; which has been selected to receive the pins from the machine. Initiation of the change pins cycle also energizes a solenoid it! which is mounted on a bracket Ifllb over the upending box WU (Figs. 1, 4, 5 and This solenoid actuates a pin switch which diverts the bowling pins from their normal channel in the machine and directs them into the diversion chute 47a.

Upon initiation of the change pins cycle the sweep 4| moves down to its alley position, sweeps the alley bed free of pins, and then returns to its front position. The pin conveyor in the pit then operates to deliver the pins to the sorter whichin turn delivers them to distributor chute 36b and from there they go to the container 46. When the sweep has returned to its front position, the setter unit sets the remaining ten pins on the alley and returns to its top position in readiness to receive more pins. When the pit is cleared of the first set of ten pins, the sweep clears the alley of the second set of ten pins, and'these pins are carried into the sorter and distributor and diversion chute to container 46 so that all pins are removed from the machine. As soon as the twentieth pin passes through the diversion chute 41a, a conventional counting device (not shown) which is installed in the lower end of each of the diversion chutes sends a signal to the machine which causes the pin container 45 to be released from its top position. The weight of pins within this pin container ca'usesit to descend to the alley bed, and a selfactuating mechanism causes a discharge door within said container to open so that the twenty different pins' within such container are dumped onto the alley bed between the sweep 4| and the pit. Having been relieved of its load of pins, the pin container 45 ascends to its raised position and latches itself in place. The sweep 4| then pushes the different pins which have been deposited on the alley bed into the pit and returns to its dwell position where it remains guarding the machine until all operations are completed, this guard action being the same as described in the application Serial No. 759,488 above mentioned. At the time the pin container 45 was first released to descend .to the alley, solenoid |0| was de-energized, actuating the pin switch to put the upending box I00 back into normal operation, and the five outlet doors in the pin sorter were also released for normal operation. Consequently the different pins which are carried into the sorter by the pin lifting mechanism in the pit are delivered through the sorter and upending boxes into the magazine 31 from whence they are delivered into the pin setter. As soon as the pin setter receives ten pins, they are set on the'alley and the sweep rises, restoring the machine to a condition ready for bowling. The

remaining ten pins continue to come from the sorter from where they are delivered to the magazine 31 in the normal manner.

The machine now holds a complete set of different pins, and the pins which were removed from'the machine are stored in pin container 46. On the next pin changing cycle, the operation is the'same as just generally described except that solenoid mm (Fig. l) actuates a pin switch in upending box IBM to direct pins into diversion chute 41b, and the pins are removed from the machine and received in pin container 45, while the pins in container 46 are placed in the machine. This alternate action makes it possible to have two different sets of pins available for use at all times, and each set can be placed in and removed from the machine alter nately as often'as is desired. If a third set of pins is desired, the pins must be removed from the loaded pin containerand new pins must be placed therein. This can be done during the normal operation of the machine without interrupting play on the alley, the walk 49 being provided for this purpose.

Referring now to Figs.-4, 5, 9 and 10, the pin distributing mechanism-will be described. The upending box H30 in distributing chute 36b is of the same general construction as shown and described in application Serial No. 736,682 above mentioned. The box I00 has a discharge opening in its bottom side leading into the. magazine 3'1. A trap. door I02 is mounted in this dishar p n ng. said trap door be n biased in closed position by means of springs I03, and being latched closed in a manner to be described. In normal operation, when a bowling pin 24 .enters the box through the cute 3fib,,the pin slides along until the large or belly portion of the pin strikes a roller I04 which is rigidly secured to a cross shaft I05 by means of arms I06. The force exerted by the pin 24 against the roller I04 causes the roller to pivot about the axis of the shaft I05 so that the shaft rotates in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. .5, This rotation lifts an actuating rod I! which is secured at its upper end to the shaft by means of a bracket I08. At: its lower end the rod I0! is connected to a lever latch I09 at a, point inter, mediate the ends of said latch. One end of the leverlatch I00 is pivotally mounted onttfil pport-ing bracket I! t which extends upwardly and also supports the cross shaft I05, and the other end of the lever latch normally engages a notch in a latch roller I I I which has another notch err-:- gaging the edge of the. trap door I02 ,as shown in Fig. 9.

Obviously, when the lifting rod I01 raises. the lever latch I 09, the latch roller III will be released and the .weight of the bowling pin" 24 forces the trap door I02 to open, allowing the Pin to. fall through the discharge opening in the upending box I00. Stops II are provided to stop the pin 24 so that it normally cannot continue sliding down the diversion chute 4.1a, but must fall through the discharge opening inthe bottom of the upending box. As may be seen in Fig, 5, the discharge opening is somewhat shorter than the length of a bowling pin, and the roller I04 is so positioned that a pin entering the upending box head end first, as shown in Fig. 5, will be allowed to travel far enough before the trap door I02 is tripped so that the head end of the pin is riding on a solid or integral portion of the bottom of the box I00. Thus, when the trap door I02 opens, the pin 24 falls through the discharge opening butt end first. If the pin enters the upending box butt end first, roller I04 is contacted by the wide part of the pin before the butt end of the pin reaches the opposite end of the discharge opening. Consequently, the door I82 opens and the butt end of the pin falls through first so that again the pin enters the magazine 3? butt end first. After the pin has fallen through the discharge opening, the trap door I02 is closed by springs I03. A spring H6, which surrounds the lower portion of the lifting rod I01, cooperates with bracket I'I0"to .urge the lever latch I09 into-engagement with the latch roller Ii lv so that the dOor.is relatched and the apparatus is ready to receive the next pin. To this apparatus I have added a novel pin switch which is operable to divert pins from their normal channel into the pin magazine and direct them into the diversion chute ila during a pin changing cycle. The core H8 of the pin switch actuating solenoid IN is connected by means of a link H9 to a bar I20. This bar is in turn con-. nected to a pair of latch levers l2I, these levers being pivotally mounted on a shaft I22 carried on brackets I23 which extend upwardly from the sides of the box 5 00. The bar I is also pivotally and slidably connected to a latchingba'r I25 which has a horizontally extending stop member or flag I25a at its lower end. It will be obvious from inspection of Fig. 5 that when solenoidIDI is energized so that its core II 8 is pulled inwardly or, to the right in such figure, latch levers I2I will move out of engagement with latch II5a. The stop members US are carried by a yoke II5b (Figs. 5 and 10) this yoke being pivotally mounted on the brackets I23 at H50, and the top portion of the yoke incorporating the latch II5a. When solenoid I0! is energized therefore, the stop members II5 will no longer act to stop the motion of a bowling pin, but will pivot out of the way when struck by a pin and will allow the pin to proceed through the diversion chute 41a in the event the trap door I02 remains closed.

The latching bar I25 is pivotally mounted on a pin I26 which is carried on one wall of the box I 00, and consequently, when solenoid H is energized, the latching bar I25 pivots so that the stop or flag I 250, moves under the door I 02, looking said door in closed position. So long as solenoid IIlI remains energized therefore, bowling pins entering the distributing chute will be diverted from their normal channel and will slide through the diversion chute 4M and enter the pin container 46 which has been selected to receive pins during this pin changing cycle. A spring I27 causes the stops H5 and the yoke M5?) to pivot back to their original or latching position after each pin passes, and when solenoid IBI is de-energized after all pins are removed from the machine, a spring I28, which surrounds the solenoid core I I8, forces said core out of the solenoid, returning the latch levers I 2| to latching engagement with the latch I I5a and pivoting the latch bar I25 so that the flag I25a no longer locks the trap door I02.

As mentioned earlier, a similar diversion chute dl'b is connected to the distributing chute 3601. These diversion chutes are inclined as shown in Fig. 1 so that the bowling pins will slide by gravity until they reach the selected pin container. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the diversion chutes are curved at their ends so that pins sliding down chute 41a will enter pin container d5 while pins sliding down chute 411) will enter container 45. This arrangement is utilized in order that the bowling pins will enter the containers lengthwise with the largest cross sectional dimension of the container so that they are more uniformly deposited in the container. By curving the ends of the chutes as illustrated, the pins leave the chutes travelling toward the mouth of the receiving container, so no diverting mechanism is needed at the ends of the chutes. Furthermore, since only one chute is used at a time, only one common outlet is required.

The construction and operation of the pin containers 45 and 46 is illustrated in Figures 2, 3, 6, '7, Band ll-l8. The containers are supported above the alley bed adjacent the front of the pin setter and behind the sweep mechanism so that they are out of the way during normal operation of the machine. Each of the containers is provided with similar but separate and independent operating mechanisms. Since these mechanisms are identical for each container, only the mechanisms associated with container 45 will be described, and it will be understood that container 46 operates in exactly the same manner when it is selected as the container to hold the different pins to be supplied to the machine.

The weight of the twenty bowling pins which are stored in container 45 urges said container to descend to its bottom position. However, it is held up by a ratchet mechanism illustrated most clearly in Figs. 6 and '7. At each side of the container 45 a cable I35 is rigidly aflixed on a bracket I36. These cables are trained over idler pulleys I31 and secured to winding drums I38 which are rigidly affixed to a shaft I40. A counterweight MI is also attached to shaft I40 by means of a cable I42 which is secured to another winding drum I43 on the shaft. As the shaft I40 rotates, cables I35 and I42 wind and unwind on their respective winding drums. Therefore, as the container 45 descends, cable I35 unwinds from drum I38 while cable I42 winds on to drum i43, causing the counterweight I4I to rise.

A ratchet I45 is rigidly secured to the shaft I40, and a pawl I46 is adapted to engage the teeth of the ratchet to prevent container 45 from descending to the alley when said container is loaded with pins. The pawl I46 is pivotally afiixed to a link I41 by pivot pin I48, and said link is pivotally attached at its other end by a pivot pin I46 to a stationary bracket I50 which is afiixed to the framework of the machine. Referring particularly to Fig. '7, when the pawl I46 and the link I41 are in the position shown in solid lines, an adjusting screw II, which is threaded through the end of the pawl and which is adapted to engage a shoulder on the link I41, is adjusted so that the pivot pin I48 is below a straight line drawn between the pivot pin I49 and the point of intersection of the longitudinal center line of the pawl with the front face of the pawl, which point is in a line at right angles to the direction of thrust on the pawl by the ratchet teeth. In this position the pawl I46 is held in engagement with one of the ratchet teeth and the container is prevented from descending.

An actuating solenoid I55 is mounted on the bracket I50 above the link I41, the core I55a of said solenoid having an actuating extension I56 secured thereto. This extension thrusts downwardly through a guide collar I50a affixed to the bracket I50, and the extension carries an actuating collar I51 which is adapted to engage the link I41 at a point intermediate the ends of said link. As shown in Fig. 7, the position of the collar I51 may be adjusted by means of the lock nuts I58. When the solenoidl55 is energized, the actuating rod I56 is pulled upwardly, lifting link I41 until the pivot pin I48 is above the straight line above described, and the weight of the loaded container 45 causes a thrust against the pawl I46 which urges the pawl and the link I51 to buckle as shown in dashed lines in Fig. 1. As the ratchet I45 continues to turn, the pawl is carried over into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7, thus allowing the container to continue to descend until it reaches its bottom position. After the pins are discharged from the container 45 onto the alley bed the container ascends to its original position, the ratchet I45 reverses its direction of rotation and the pawl I46 engages the ratchet teeth and is carried back up to its locking position. With the parts in this position, the ratchet continues to rotate until the container 45 is again in its raised position. At this time the pawl drops into a notch formed by the teeth of the ratchet and holds the container in its raised position ready to receive pins in the next pin changing operation. 4

The counterweight MI is sodesigned that it slightly overbalances the weight of the empty container, said counterweight being very greatly overbalanced by the weight of the container with a load of twenty pins. This weight distribution between the counterweight and the container biases the container to raised position above the alley bed only when said container is empty of pins, so that the container, when filled with pins, descends as soon as the pivot pin I48 is raised above the straight line above described. As shown most clearly in Figs. 2, l6 and 17, a spring I60 surrounds the shaft I40, this spring being rigidly afiixed to the shaft at one end at I6I and being rigidly affixed at its other end to a bracket I82 secured to the framework structure. The spring is so arranged that it is relaxed when the container 45 is raised. As the container descends, the spring is wound up, thus storing energy and retarding the speed of descent of the container so that by the time the container reaches its lowered position adjacent the alley bed, its descent has been braked to a large extent. When the container has discharged its load of pins upon the alley bed, the energy stored in the spring acts to speed the ascent of the container. This extra energy is again exhausted before the container reaches its top position so that there is no sudden jolt as the container latches itself in a raised position.

A pair of vertical guide rods I65 are provided, one ofsuch rods being rigidly attached to the main machine structure on either side of the corn tainer 45 by means of supports I66. The container is slidably mounted on these guides by means of holes in the flanges I61 of the upper structure of the container.

The container 45 has a pair of pin discharging trap doors I68 in its bottom portion, these doors being hinged at their outer edges to the sides of the boxby means of hinges I69. The doors are held closed by latches which cooperate with latch bars I10 aflixed to the-doors. The latches comprise a pair of L-shaped members I1 I, each having a latching portion I1Ia at one end thereof. The members I1I are pivoted adjacent their angled portion on a supporting bracket I12 which is aflixed to the containerframework, and the other end of each latching member is pivotally and slidably connected to a connecting link I13, this slidable connection being effected by means of a slot I13a. The other or upper end of each of the connecting links I13 is pivotally connected to a strike bar I14 which is suspended from the top framework of the pin container by means of bolts I15, the strike bar being slidable on these bolts to the extent of the length of such bolts.

The bottom of each of the trap doors E68 is provided with a roller I16 so that the surface of the alley bed will not be marred from the opening of the doors.

Means are also provided to close the trap doors I68 after the pin discharging operation. For this purpose a leaf spring member I is affixed to the outer edge of each of the doors and extends outwardly therefrom, each leaf spring carrying a roller I8I at its extending end. Cam blocks I82 are mounted on the machine framework at the level of the bottom of the container when said container is in its raised position, these cam blocks extending into the path of the rollers IBI.

Referring now to Fig. 8, a pin discharging operation of the container 45 is illustrated. In Fig. 8a, the container 45 is latched in its raised position above the alley bed 20. In Fig. 8b the solenoid I55 has been energized, causing the actuating collar I51 to exert a thrust against the link I41 so that the ratchet I45 has been released in the manner heretofore described. The weight of pins within the container causes the container to descend to its lower position adjacent the alley bed. As the container approaches the position or estate;

11 k Fig. 8b, asupport collar [83 mounted "or; the guide rod I65 contacts thestrike bar [14, con:- tact stops the descent of the strike bar, but the container itself continues down, the strike bar I14 sliding upward on the bolts '1 until 'i'tfs'trike's the upper flange of the box framewor By this relative action between the strike ha and the container framework the connecting links T3 are raised, pivoting the latch 'meinbers III and un latching them from'the latch'barsfl'lli. v I At this point the Weight of the pins within the container causes the trap doors T68 to (1:51 down so that the roner sjl 16' contact the one? bed 29. The energy stored in the spring 15!! urges the container to ascend 's'o that the -z oller's I16 roll along the alley bed until :the doors are completely open and the pins arefdi'sch'afgd from the container, As thecontainerascends the doors I68 remain .open until rollers I181 Contact the cambloclgs I82, as 'shojw'nin Fig. fSc, As 'tlie container continues to move time 3; to the raised position of Fig. 8d, rollers iBl roll theinclined surface of the cam hloeks I82 the doors areclosed, The't'veig'hto'i the latch ng mechanism loringsfthe strike liar "I13 'to'its mixer position on the bolts i|fl;5, 'ca jsin the latch mem bers l'il to be in position tpienga'jge 't'vith the latch bars I'm When the doors I 68 close I I I prefer to constructjealh 'pin ontainer itvith an angle iron frame I90 a wo ienfvvirelmesh walls indicated at l fil, the ire bfein'g Welded to the frame, andI have achieved 'siatisf actor results with a great saving 'in weight and 'n'i'aterial by o tr o in he. i es nate-om i i i ii of inch wire woven into approximately one inch square mesh.

I claim: a ,1 a 1. In abowling pinsetting machin'e h'avf frame located a ve th v a e e m??- r u ted hereo i ew? gathering P 1 m the PP C n f F 9 the alley to thepitjand n eans f or conveying gathered i s. f m QiRPQ: the e P Fl resetting on the alley apparatus peration f e ac ine h e. 9's ePleii, Q pinser met r. piim ii ili 1 1. em ie 'i a ve pin container i l oooly mount om a I ir mfi for movem'entbetvveen ajraised posit'icn and'a lowered s har e-P e ics enee eeied 12 rece e in ra m a h on ane ii ilqqeip il of pins, means o nthe frame for supporting said container in i i n e 9 ...ih. ley e1?! Q l of the way of standing pins, meansoperah to permit d s a eep he P ns. mmc. heseoete e to the Pin gathering mea s ediniee i e leei el operable to divertii o ni'the conveying means an entire complement ofpins. H 2. A machine as deifined in clai n 1 having s nd i n in n, onsion the fio n 9 movebly ppo t n 53 g: PQ Qo e eieinea i movement omhea t' i. he wa p i c l. F a position adjacent the alley bed for discharging pins therefrom and'means for directingan entire complement of diverted pins into one of said containers. we a V w 3. A, m ohmeas o fineot n c m zi eriri no pin containers, l cated: d by. v del e.irmiile the machine'and vertically above'the gathering r f thep n athering o n's-e. .A i o 4. A machine as defined in claim l having a second movable 'container for holding pins, means for yieldably biasing said segondcpntainer to s d p i n a ovehe pin e ih e'a t of t 11 y '1 .h wme ns iiqriholsii eeei second container in raised position and means for 12 releasing said latch "means to permit said sec-- ond container to descend and discharge its pin's onto the alley Within reach of the pin gatheririgmeans. v y e 5, In "a p'in'setting machine having a complement of pins therein and having means for setting pins on an alley bed in normal play and mechanical pin gaftliering means for delivering pins to the setting means, pinbhanging apparatusfor substituting different pins for the insaidmachirietcifiprisinein*cdmriinati iimea s operable upon .the initiation iof fa 'pin chfangiirg operation for dive Y iiig pir' i rrrcm meii 116mm cli 'riei inf'said ma me, aiidffor removing "said divertd pins from 'said mach ne, 'a vertically mdvatie, p n cdntai'neriadapted to lid-1d said airferejnt pins an na in a normally l'atclied piil discharge door, means for biasing said container to ra sed p' o'simdn ab ve the alley bedfdnly when said contaifier is empty "of pi s, 'Iatch fIfieai1s comprising a pawl and ra'tch et mummy fret'ainifi'g said in container in raised position, meari's oforlrele mg fsaid 'tch means ?to"pi m'it jsfaiid con ainer"; escend ur'id'r its load of pins (when said an ed pins have been reindeed "r I "the iir fe no, arid "means-operable uponidesden t1; "s'aid container for 'unl'atchi'ng said aisemrge ac 't'ofdischa'rge said difi'r finfi th 3 5 3 c r K 1 ine havirigmechanidal I v v r I e 4 hutesandnavingacofn l l iii 1 ii i In p l' ch rieine apparatus forsiibstitiitiiigdiffereiit pin fa -t re pins in said machine comprising in coinloinati'on, a pjin s'vvfitch operable up' on tlie "iriitieftoh of "a p changing epera'tiamsaid switch eingassttieteu witha'tjle'astfone d in uting'chiite tar-diverting pinsfi'cm their at lclia'niiel in: diinachine, a first container adapted 'to receive "pins "from said machine's, diversid cliiit'e for directing iiiverted'piiisintosaid'co enasecmd'veftial 1y" movable pin container adapted to hold sazia differentpiris aiiii'h'aving a normally "latched 5pm discharge "door intne kiotttiinfmeans "for 'biasifig said "second container to raised position ab'diie the alley bed onl' "when said second container "said niacin a p movable pin "containers one 'fof pipe rieshq s eei d. o i ei ofi eie .sion chutes, "one 'ofiaid' d'ivrsioh"chutes filfiz connected to one of said difierent distributing chutes for diverting pins into the first mentioned container, a normally latched pin discharge door in the bottom of each of said containers, means for yieldably biasing each of said containers to raised position above the alley bed, latch means associated with the container holding the different pins, said latch means comprising a solenoid operated pawl and a ratchet for normally retaining said pin holding container in raised position, means for energizing the solenoid to release the latch to permit said last mentioned container to descend under its load of pins, means operable upon descent of said last mentioned container for unlatching said door to discharge said different pins from said container on to the alley bed, and means for closing said door upon ascent of said container.

8. In a pinsetting machine having mechanical pin gathering means and a pin distributing chute with a discharge opening in the normal pin channel and having a complement of pin-s therein, pin diverting means comprising in combination, a diversion chute associated with said pin distributing chute, stop means normally operable to block pins from said diversion chute and direct them into said discharge opening, a pin switch operable to block said discharge opening and render said stop means inoperable and means operable from without said machine for holding said pin switch continuously operative to remove the entire complement of pins from said machine.

9. In a bowling machine having a pin distributing chute with a discharge opening in the normal pin channel, pin diverting means comprising in combination, a trap door in said dischargeopening, a pin actuated latch operable by a pin moving in the distributing chute for releasing said trap door, said latch normally holding said door in closed position, a diversion chute connected to said pin distributing chute, a pivotally mounted stop arranged to be struck by a pin in said distributing chute for blocking pins from said diversion chute and directing them into said discharge opening, a latch normally locking said stop against pivotal movement in pin blocking position, a pivotally mounted lever for locking said trap door independently of said pin actuated latch, and a solenoid having a core connected to said last mentioned latch and said lever, movement of said core when said solenoid is energized moving said last mentioned latch to release position and moving said lever into locking engagement with said trap door.

10. In a pinsetting machine having a pin distributing chute with a discharge opening in the normal pin channel, pin changing apparatus for substituting different pins for the pins in said machine comprising in combination, a diversion chute associated with said pin distributing chute, stop means normally operable to block pins from said diversion chute and direct them into said discharge opening, a pin switch operable upon the initiation of a pin changing operation to block said discharge opening and, render said stop means inoperable, a first pin container for receiving pins from said diversion chute, a second vertically movable pin container adapted to hold said diiierent pins, a normally latched pin discharge door in said vertically movable container, means for biasing said container to raised position above the alley bed only when said container is empty of pins, latch means comprising a pawl and ratchet normally retaining said vertically movable container in raised position, means for releasing said latch means operated by pins moving through said diversion chute to permit said vertically movable container to descend under its load of pins, and means operable upon descent of said container for unlatching said discharge door to discharge said different pins on to the alley bed.

11. In a pinsetting machine having a pin distributingchute with a discharge opening in the normal pin channel, pin changing apparatus for substituting difierent pins for the pins in said machine comprising in combination, a trap door in said discharge opening, a pin actuated latch operable by a pin moving in the distributing chute for releasing said trap door, said latch normally holding said door in closed position, a diversion chute connected to said pin distributing chute, a pivotally mounted stop arranged to be struck by a pin in said distributing chute for blocking pins from said diversion chute and directing them into said discharge opening, a latch normally locking said stop against pivotal movement in pin blocking position, a pivotally mounted lever for locking said trap door independently of said pin actuated latch, a solenoid having a core connected to said last mentioned latch and said lever, movement of said core when said solenoid is energized moving said last mentioned latch to release position and moving said lever into locking engagement with said trap door, a pair of vertically movable pin containers one of which receives pins from said diversion chute and the other of which holds said difierent pins, a normally latched discharge door in the bottom of each of said containers, means for yieldably biasing each of said containers to raised position above the alley bed, latch means associated with the container holding the difierent pins, said latch means comprising a solenoid operated pawl and a ratchet for normally retaining said container in raised position, means for energizing the solenoid to release the latch associated with said last mentioned container to permit the container to descend under its load of pins, means operable upon descent of said last mentioned container for unlatching said door to discharge said different pins from said container on to the alley bed, and means for relatching said door upon ascent of said container.

12. In a pinsetting machine having a complement of pins therein and having means for setting pins on an alley bed in normal play, mechanical pin gathering means for delivering pins to the setting means, a pin sorter and a plurality of pin distributing chutes, pin changing apparatus for substituting different pins for the pins in said machine comprising in combination, a plurality of selectively operable pin switches, each being associated with a different distributing chute for diverting pins from their normal channel in said machine, a pair of vertically movable pin containers located above the alley bed adjacent the front of said machine, one of said containers receiving pins from said machine and the other container holding said different pins, a plurality of diversion chutes, one of said chutes directing diverted pins into said first mentioned container, a normally latched pin discharge door in the bottom of each of said containers, means for yieldably biasing each of said containers to raised position above the alley bed, latch means associated with said container holding the different pins, said latch means comprising a solenoid operated pawl and a ratchet for normally retaining said container in raised position, means 15 for energizing the solenoid to release the latch to permit the last mentioned container to descend under its lead of pins, means operable upon descent of said last mentioned container for unlatching said door to discharge said different pins from said container on to the alley bed, means for closing said door upon ascent of said container, and a Walk extending transversely across the alley adjacent said containers .for providing access to said containers during theoperat-ion of said machine without interrupting play on said alley.

GEORGE A. MONTOOTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

